Miner&#39;s candle-protector.



W. COOPER. MINERS CANDLE PROTECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1, 190a.

Patented June 15, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILL COOPER, OF BLACK BEAR, IDAHO.

MINERS CANDLE-PROTECTOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILL COOPER, citizen of the United States, residingat Black Bear, in the county of Shoshone and State of Idaho, haveinvented certain now and useful Improvements in MinersCandle-Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

It is well known that chief among the hard ships of miners is thedifliculty experienced in maintaining a lighted candle while at work inthe mines, because of the liability of the moisture dripping upon thecandle to eXtin guish the same, and also because of the drafts in themines created therein by the sudden explosions from blasting or thelike, and also by the arrangement of the chutes which establishcommunication between the adjacent drifts or galleries.

The object of this invention is an improved device which is adapted toprotect the candle from upward, downward or other drafts and from themoisture, thus maintaining a steady light and economizing in the numberof candles used, and which may be readily adjusted to compensate for thediminution of the candle.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructionsand arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe,and then point out the novel features thereof, in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and toacquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to behad to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transversesection on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 4 is a similar view on theline 44 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing, by the samereference characters.

My improved device embodies a prong 1 which is looped at one end toconstitute a handle 2 and which is preferaby formed near the handle withan upwardly disposed downwardly facing hook 3 that is designed to beengaged with a suitable support to sustain the device in position whenit is not conven- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 436,121.

ielnt to embed the prong in a timber or the 4 designates a slide whichis formed with a longitudinal central opening 5, by means of which it ismounted for longitudinal movement upon the prong. This slide is formedat one end above the opening 5 with a trans verse aperture in which isloosely mounted the shank 6 of an ordinary spring candle socket 7 toswivel the latter to the slide, the shank being preferably threaded andhaving a flanged nut 8 mounted upon its protruding extremity, so as tohold the candle socket at.

ffdierent inclinations relative to the slide. The other end of the slideis split longitudinally to constitute spaced jaws 9, and a clampingscrew 10 is mounted in said jaws and is arranged to exert a tensionthereupon to draw the aws together and cause them to bind the prong soas to hold the slide in the desired adjusted position thereon. One ofthese jaws is formed in its inner face with a V-shaped recess 11 inwhich is loosely mounted a supporting rod 12 that is arranged to bindagainst the prong 1 when the jaws 9 are drawn together, so as to besustained at the desired elevation. The upper end of this supporting rodis riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to a dome-like shade 13, and. isadapt ed to support the latter in operative relation to the candlesocket, said shade being formed with a central opening 14 arranged topermit the upper end of the candle to protrude therethrough and beingprovided with a pivoted cover 15 adapted to be swung over the centralopening to close the same.

In the practical use of my improved candle protector, the cover 15 isswung away from the opening 14, and the supporting rod 12 is adjusted soas to lower the shade 13 and cause the upper end of the candle toprotrude through the opening 14., in which position the flame isobviously protected from any upward drafts. In order to protect theflame from downward drafts, the supporting rod 12 is adjusted to sustainthe shade 13 above the candle, the opening 1 1 being closed by the'cover15. In this position, it is obvious that the shade effectually preventsthe flame of the candle from becoming 1 extinguished by moisturedripping thereupon. hen the candle is subject to side drafts, thesupporting rod is tilted from the latter position, as is permitted bythe V- shaped formation of the recess 11, so as to 11 assumethe positionindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to support the shade in an inclinedposition in the direction from which the draft proceeds.

It will be observed that, by adjustably connecting the candle socketwith the slide 4, it is possible to maintain the candle in a verticalposition and thus insure its burning evenly when the prong is embeddedin timber in an inclined position. It is also to be noted thatby looselyand adjustably mounting the supportingrod 12 in the sleeve, the shademay always bekept in operative relation to the'candle and may bereadily-adjusted to compensate for the diminution of the latter.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a miners candlestick, the combination with a prong, of a slidemounted thereupon, a candle socket swiveled to the slide, a supportingrod loosely mounted in the slide, a shade secured to the supporting rodand designed to extend over the candle socket, and means for adjustingthe supporting rod to'hold the same in upright position irrespective ofthe position of the prong.

2. In a miners candlestick, the combination witha prong, of a slideformed with a central opening by means of which it is loosely mountedupon the prong, a candle socket carried at one end or' the slide, saidslide being split longitudinally to form spaced jaws, and meansforeXerting a tension upon said jaws to draw the same together and clampthe slide in longitudinally adjusted position upon the prong.

3. The combination with a prong, of a slide formed with a centralopening by means of which it is adjustably mounted upon the prong,a'candle socket carried at one end of the slide, the other end of theslide being split longitudinally to form spaced jaws, means for exertinga tension upon said jaws to draw the same together, a supporting rodcarried by the slide, and a shade secured to the supporting rod.

4. The combination with a prong, of a slide formed with a longitudinalopening by means of which it is mounted for longitudinal movement uponthe prong, a candle socket carried at one end of the slide, the otherend 01 the slide being split longitudinally to form spaced jaws, aclamping screw mounted in said jaws and adapted to draw the sametogether, one of said jaws being formed in its inner face with a recess,a supporting rod mounted in the recess, and a shade secured to thesupporting rod.

5. The combination with a prong, of a slide formed with a longitudinalopening by means of which it is mounted upon the prong, a candle socketswiveled to the slide, one end of the slide being split longitudinallyto form spaced jaws, a clamping screw mounted in said aws and adapted todraw the same together, one of said jaws being formed in its inner facewith a substantially V-shaped recess, a supporting rod adj ustablymounted in the'V-shaped recess, and a shade secured to the supportingrod and designed to project-over the candle socket, as and for thepurpose specified.

6. In a miners candlestick, the combination with a prong, a supporttherefor, a shade formed with a perforation to permit the upper end ofthe candle to it therein and protrude therethrough above the shade, arod secured to the shade and carried by. the support, means foradjusting the rod to sustain the shade above the candle, and means rorclosing the opening as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a miners candlestick, the combination of a prong, of a slideloosely mounted thereon and carrying a candlestick, a shade formed witha central perforation to :permit the upper end of the candle to fittherein and protrude upwardly beyond the shade, a rod secured to theshadeiand carried by a slide, means for effecting the adjustment of therod to sustain the shade above the candle, and a cover pivotallyconnected to the shade and adapted to be swung over the opening.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILL COOPER. [1 s.]

Witnesses:

ELMER SMITH, I l. 0. DAHL.

